5 reasons why accessibility testing is important to your organization
Accessibility testing is the practice of making mobile apps and web usable to as many people as possible. Apps and websites should be accessible to those with disabilities such as low vision, hearing disabilities, and other physical or cognitive conditions. There are WCAG guidelines to follow to make sure a product is indeed inclusive.
Here you can find out more about why is accessibility testing so important:
One billion people, or 15% of the world's population, experience some form of disability, and disability prevalence is higher for developing countries according to WHO (World Health Organization). 61 million adults in the United States live with a disability. 26 percent (one in 4) of adults in the United States have some type of disability.
Knowing the high numbers - and the increase of people with disabilities acquired throughout their lives - every company and organization should be concerned about applying the accessibility test in the initial phase of product/software development and here are 05 reasons for you to run the accessibility testings right now:
1. Increase the customer base and market share;
70% of the global websites are inaccessible to people with disabilities. This is a major market opportunity that is waiting to be tapped. Similarly, two-thirds of the U.S-based eCommerce stores and apps are losing over $6.9 billion of potential revenues, as they are not accessible to users with disabilities.
2.Prevent lawsuits against the software product;
Workforce Rehabilitation Act (or Section 508) must ensure that all U.S federal agencies must satisfy accessibility standards when procuring, using, and developing various communication devices.
Product companies can avoid a host of legal tangles and penalties by implementing accessibility testing for their products - app or website.
We have rules and guidelines to comply with when it comes to accessibility and there are some government acts, standards, and best practices in accessibility:
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3.Moral responsibility and Branding attribute;
People with disabilities are an equal important part of society and deserve the same tools and opportunities. To ensure everyone has easily access to your digital product, accessibility testing is essential in the software development life cycle. It shows that you care and respect for all users and community.
By enabling the same access to your product for all users, you are demonstrating a high level of moral responsibility and in turn branding efforts ensuring an inclusive real product building trust among users.
4. Improve quality and high user experience;
Accessibility is related to?user experience,?usability, and?user-centered design. One of the reasons to understand this is that the methodologies and techniques in user-centered design work well for addressing the needs of people with disabilities, and including them, in creating accessible websites and apps.
While accessible media is?essential?for people with disabilities, it is?also very useful for everyone?in a variety of situations.
Besides persons with disabilities, accessibility testing should also be usable to older people, children, left-handed users, non-native English speakers, screen sizes responsive and many others.
Adding features such as seamless support for mobile devices, transcripts, closed captions, and a clean, simple site and app design will generally benefit all users, including those that are suffering from temporary injuries - that can also happens to you!
5.Improve code quality
Apps and websites that are created with accessibility in mind tend to have a better-quality codebase. This is largely because accessibility testing tools can also identify various errors that create general problems with its usability.
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Accessibility is essential for some and useful for all.
Way back in the 1990s, Tim Berners-Lee said: “The power of the Web is in its universality.?Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect.”?.